CODELLA, CLAUDIOCLAUDIOCODELLACeccarelli, C.C.CeccarelliCaselli, P.P.CaselliBalucani, N.N.BalucaniBarone, V.V.BaroneFONTANI, FRANCESCOFRANCESCOFONTANILefloch, B.B.LeflochPODIO, LINDALINDAPODIOViti, S.S.VitiFeng, S.S.FengBachiller, R.R.BachillerBianchi, E.E.BianchiDulieu, F.F.DulieuJiménez-Serra, I.I.Jiménez-SerraHoldship, J.J.HoldshipNeri, R.R.NeriPineda, J. E.J. E.PinedaPon, A.A.PonSims, I.I.SimsSpezzano, S.S.SpezzanoVasyunin, A. I.A. I.VasyuninAlves, F.F.AlvesBizzocchi, L.L.BizzocchiBottinelli, S.S.BottinelliCaux, E.E.CauxChacón-Tanarro, A.A.Chacón-TanarroChoudhury, R.R.ChoudhuryCoutens, A.A.CoutensFavre, C.C.FavreHily-Blant, P.P.Hily-BlantKahane, C.C.KahaneJaber Al-Edhari, A.A.Jaber Al-EdhariLaas, J.J.LaasLópez-Sepulcre, A.A.López-SepulcreOspina, J.J.OspinaOya, Y.Y.OyaPunanova, A.A.PunanovaPuzzarini, C.C.PuzzariniQuenard, D.D.QuenardRimola, A.A.RimolaSakai, N.N.SakaiSkouteris, D.D.SkouterisTaquet, V.V.TaquetTesti, L.L.TestiTheulé, P.P.TheuléUgliengo, P.P.UgliengoVastel, C.C.VastelVazart, F.F.VazartWiesenfeld, L.L.WiesenfeldYamamoto, S.S.Yamamoto2020-09-142020-09-1420170004-6361http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12386/27365Context. Modern versions of the Miller-Urey experiment claim that formamide (NH<SUB>2</SUB>CHO) could be the starting point for the formation of metabolic and genetic macromolecules. Intriguingly, formamide is indeed observed in regions forming solar-type stars and in external galaxies. <BR /> Aims: How NH<SUB>2</SUB>CHO is formed has been a puzzle for decades: our goal is to contribute to the hotly debated question of whether formamide is mostly formed via gas-phase or grain surface chemistry. <BR /> Methods: We used the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) interferometer to image NH<SUB>2</SUB>CHO towards the L1157-B1 blue-shifted shock, a well-known interstellar laboratory, to study how the components of dust mantles and cores released into the gas phase triggers the formation of formamide. <BR /> Results: We report the first spatially resolved image (size 9″, 2300 AU) of formamide emission in a shocked region around a Sun-like protostar: the line profiles are blueshifted and have a FWHM ≃ 5 km s<SUP>-1</SUP>. A column density of N<SUB>NH<SUB>2</SUB>CHO</SUB> = 8 × 10<SUP>12</SUP> cm<SUP>-1</SUP> and an abundance, with respect to H-nuclei, of 4 × 10<SUP>-9</SUP> are derived. We show a spatial segregation of formamide with respect to other organic species. Our observations, coupled with a chemical modelling analysis, indicate that the formamide observed in L1157-B1 is formed by a gas-phase chemical process and not on grain surfaces as previously suggested. <BR /> Conclusions: The Seeds of Life in Space (SOLIS) interferometric observations of formamide provide direct evidence that this potentially crucial brick of life is efficiently formed in the gas phase around Sun-like protostars. <P />The reduced datacube is only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to <A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr">http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr</A> (<A href="http://130.79.128.5">http://130.79.128.5</A>) or via <A href="http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/605/L3">http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/605/L3STAMPAenArticle10.1051/0004-6361/2017312492-s2.0-85029231391000412231200005https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/abs/2017/09/aa31249-17/aa31249-17.html2017A&A...605L...3CFIS/05 - ASTRONOMIA E ASTROFISICA